Atlanta, Georgia – In rural Georgia, an empty field is not always just an empty field. Sometimes it is a future factory floor. Sometimes it is a payroll that has not been written yet. Sometimes it is the difference between a young person leaving town and a family deciding to stay.
That is the idea behind the latest round of rural site grants announced by Gov. Brian P. Kemp, who said Georgia is putting another $7.8 million into ten local economic development projects across the state through the Rural Site Development Initiative, a program housed within the OneGeorgia Authority.
The fourth round of awards pushes the state’s total investment in rural site development to $28 million since the initiative launched in fiscal year 2025. The money is aimed at a practical but important part of economic growth: helping communities prepare industrial sites so they are more attractive to companies looking for places to build, expand and hire.
“Since I took office, over 64 percent of new jobs created have gone to parts of our state outside the metro Atlanta region, and the Rural Site Development Initiative is an important part of that broader effort to bring opportunity to all parts of Georgia,” Kemp said.
“I’m grateful for the great partnership of the General Assembly in funding and promoting this program, and I look forward to even more jobs and investment going to rural areas.”
The grants fall into two main categories. Some communities received site improvement money for work such as grading, roads, sewer systems, water infrastructure and other improvements that can move a property closer to being ready for industry. Others received GRAD-certification scholarships, which help pay for the studies, surveys and preparation needed to seek Georgia Ready for Accelerated Development certification.
GRAD certification matters because it signals that a site has already cleared important checks and can move faster when a company is searching for a location. State economic development leaders say that kind of preparation can make rural communities more competitive when investment decisions are being made.
“GRAD sites are important to local strategies for attracting employers and investment in Georgia’s communities,” said Georgia Department of Community Affairs Commissioner Christopher Nunn. “Rural Site Development Grants enable communities to plan for their future success.”
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The largest awards in this round went to four site improvement projects. In coastal Georgia, the Effingham County Development Authority received $1.8 million for improvements at the GRAD-certified Savannah Portside International Park, including construction of a sewer pump station. The total cost of that project is $2.5 million.
In west Georgia, the Development Authority of Columbus was awarded $2 million for work at the GRAD-certified Muscogee Technology Park. That project includes clearing and grading, with total project costs listed at $10 million.
McIntosh County, near the coast, received $1.5 million for road, water and sewer infrastructure improvements at Tidewaters Industrial Park, which is also GRAD-certified. The total project cost is $2.8 million. State officials noted that this is McIntosh County’s second site development award, after the county previously received a GRAD-certification scholarship for the same site.
That progression is one of the clearest examples of how the program is supposed to work: first helping a local site become certified, then helping it move into deeper readiness for future development.
In west-central Georgia, the Thomaston-Upson County Industrial Development Authority received $2 million for water, sewer and transportation infrastructure at the GRAD-certified Central Georgia Business and Technology Park. The total cost of that project is $2.3 million.
Six other communities received GRAD-certification scholarships. In southwest Georgia, the Albany-Dougherty Economic Development Commission was awarded $135,000 to certify Pecan Grove Industrial Park, a project with total costs of $180,000. Glynn County, in coastal Georgia, received $107,500 for surveys and research tied to GRAD certification work at Mallard Industrial Park. The total project cost is $119,500.
Harris County in west Georgia was awarded $54,400 to certify the largest remaining tract of Northwest Harris Business Park, with total costs of $77,500. In middle Georgia, the Development Authority of Jeffersonville & Twiggs County received $22,500 for the surveys and studies needed to certify the Hillandale Tract. The full project cost is $25,000.
Screven County, near coastal Georgia, received $121,500 for studies and surveys needed for Screven Industrial Park to seek GRAD certification. That project has total costs of $135,000. Seminole County, in southwest Georgia, was awarded $47,250 for assessments and surveys to GRAD certify East Industrial Park, where total costs are $52,500.
Lt. Gov. Burt Jones said the grants are part of a broader strategy for long-term growth outside the state’s largest metro area.
“Rural site development grants are essential to Georgia’s growth, productivity, and sustainability,” Jones said. “I commend Governor Brian Kemp for leading the charge to fund and promote this program, which has awarded $28 million for critical projects in rural communities across Georgia.”
Speaker Jon Burns also pointed to the role the grants can play in Southeast Georgia, especially as the region faces changes in the forestry industry, long one of its economic anchors.
“Rural communities are the lifeblood of Georgia’s economy, which is why the House is proud to support Rural Site Development Grants that help bring good-paying jobs to hardworking Georgians across our state,” Burns said.
The funding may be used for eligible activities such as site studies, land grading and community infrastructure tied to industrial site development. Communities must meet OneGeorgia Authority requirements and provide matching funds at levels set by program criteria.
Georgia Department of Economic Development Commissioner Pat Wilson said prepared sites have already played a visible role in job creation across the state.
“Over the last several years, GRAD sites have helped attract an estimated 10,000 jobs to communities across the state,” Wilson said. “Proactive economic development planning, including through shovel-ready sites, strengthens our entire portfolio and competitiveness as a state.”
More information about the Rural Site Development Initiative and OneGeorgia Authority is available through the Georgia Department of Community Affairs at dca.ga.gov. Details about economic development programs and eligibility are available through the Georgia Department of Economic Development at georgia.org.
